Audi: News sales record 2005; 2006 avalanch of new models

Leaving 2005 with a new record sales behind, Audi announced to introduce a new model or version almost monthly in 2006!

Luxury car maker Audi AG said Monday that sales and deliveries of its cars rose 6.4 percent in 2005, and predicted a similar increase for 2006.

In a statement released by the German auto maker, a unit of Wolfsburg-based Volkswagen AG, the company said it delivered 829,100 cars last year, up from 779,441 the previous year.

"We are aiming for another new delivery record in 2006," Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn said of the Ingolstadt-based company's goals, adding it plans to introduce a new model or version almost monthly this year.

In mid-March, the new Audi Q7 will be launched on the European market, Winterkorn added.

The largest single export markets in 2005 were the United States with 83,066 units, an increase of 6.6 percent from 77,917 in 2004; the United Kingdom with 81,374, a gain of 4.5 percent from 77,882 the year before; and China with 58,878, a 9.6 percent rise from 53,702 in 2004.

In Europe, Spain registered the biggest growth rate, rising from 43,764 cars to 49,453, a gain of 13 percent. In France and Italy, the numbers of deliveries rose by 10 percent each, while in Germany, Audi's home market, 247,125 cars were delivered, up 5.1 percent from 235,092 cars in 2004.

In eastern Europe, Audi sales rose by 20 percent while in Russia, Audi posted growth of 49 percent with 6,115 cars sold in 2005, up from 4,100 in 2004.

GermanCarBlog, Audi

Source: AudiWorld

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